Village Living is published monthly by Katie Downes.
01273 383926 www.villageliving.biz

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 3

village living is an independent magazine and does not endorse
the products or services that appear in the magazine.
Opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily represent
those of the editor or of village living magazine.

17/01/2012 13:23

February 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ Village Living

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 4

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

17/01/2012 13:23

5 • BACK IN TIME

Welcome to February!

W

elcome to February!
Hope you are well
and that the New

Year Resolutions haven’t fallen
too far along the wayside! Look
out for details on the news
page for details of the Steyning
Festival Short Story Competition
2012 and on p26 to be in with

a chance of winning one of 3 Haramak – product of the
month! Keep me up to date with your news, views and diary dates and

Copy deadline is
February 10th for the
March issue. Please
mention Village Living
when responding to
an advert.

send in your favourite recipes for our new Readers Recipe page starting
this month! Wishing you all the best in February.

Katie x

EMAIL US AT:
katie@villageliving.biz

or follow us on
Twitter @villageliving

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 5

Village Living • February 2012

17/01/2012 13:24

ďŹ&#x201A;icker-rose
Valentines Offer
10% OFF all Jewellery ranges
from 1st - 14th February

Front Shop, Cobblestone Walk
High Street, Steyning. BN44 3RD

tel 01903 814264
www.flicker-rose.co.uk

February 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ Village Living

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 6

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

17/01/2012 13:24

BACK IN diary
TIME
7 • village

Marie Curie Cancer Care

K

eep your New Year’s Resolution with Marie Curie
Cancer Care One of the UK’s largest charities.
Employing more than 2,700 nurses, doctors and other
healthcare professionals, it provided care to more than 31,000
terminally ill patients in the community and in its nine hospices
last year and is the largest provider of hospice beds outside
the NHS. Whether your goal is to get fit, lose weight, meet
new people or do something adventurous in 2012, Marie
Curie Cancer Care is offering everyone challenges to fulfil
those common New Year’s resolutions.
This week, Marie Curie Cancer Care is launching its
programme of events and challenges for the coming year
(www.mariecurie.org.uk/challenge) offering people in
London, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Kent everything from
runs, treks, triathlons and cycle rides to swimming, walking
and dancing. If you’re looking to get in shape in 2012, Marie
Curie has running events all year round, from marathons to
local fun runs, including the London Marathon on 22nd April
and the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 7th October.
Louise Stone at Marie Curie Cancer Care, said: “New
Year’s resolutions often fall by the wayside before January is

over, but Marie Curie Cancer Care has events and
challenges throughout the year to help you stick to,
and achieve, your aims for 2012. Whether you want to
improve your fitness, have fun or get outdoors more,
there’s something for everyone. So why not take up a
challenge, fulfil your ambitions and help raise valuable
funds for Marie Curie Nurses, who provide free care to
people with terminal cancer and other illnesses in their
own homes.”
To take part in an event or challenge for
Marie Curie Cancer Care, telephone 08700 340 040,
visit: www.mariecurie.org.uk/challenge or email:
events@mariecurie.org.uk

22ND SUSSEX BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL

R

eal ale continues to outperform in the UK beer
market and now has a 15 % share. To cope with
the expected big demand there will be nearly 230
beers on sale at the 22nd Sussex Beer & Cider Festival
to be held at Hove Town Hall 8th – 10th March. Plus a
large selection of ciders, perries, country wines and British
and foreign bottled beers. The downstairs bar has been
designated as the LocAle Bar and will be selling only
beers from all the breweries in Sussex.
Advance tickets for the Festival will be on sale from
the 16th January to 4th March at the usual outlets
(Brighton & Hove: Brighton Centre, (there is a booking

fee whether on
line or by phone);
Evening Star,
Sir Charles Napier;
Shoreham:
Buckingham
Arms; Horsham,
Beer Essentials;
Lewes: Gardener’s
Arms; Worthing: Selden Arms, or by post from: –
SCBCF Ticket Sales, 13 Rudyard Road, Woodingdean,
Brighton BN2 6UB. For all other booking enquiries
please contact call 07807 105803 or email
sussexbeerfestival@yahoo.co.uk. Or go to
www.sussexbeerfestival.co.uk for further information.
As record attendances are expected and to avoid
disappointment on the day, it is advisable to buy tickets in
advance for ALL sessions. The ticket price includes
a souvenir programme and, for CAMRA members,
beer tokens worth £2 on presentation of their
membership card.
This year the festival charity will be Leo House at Home,
Brighton. The Hove Centre has full disabled facilities and
is a short walk from Hove Station.

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 7

Village Living • February 2012

17/01/2012 13:24

8 â&#x20AC;˘ BACK IN TIME

www.modelinfobureau.com
Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 8

17/01/2012 13:24

BACK IN dIAry
TIME
9 • vIllAgE

Village Diary
village diary is a great way to publicise an event in your village. Charitable & not for profit events are listed free
of charge. A small charge applies for commercial listings. don’t forget to visit www.villageliving.biz to submit
your own listing online.

– “ Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”. £5, available from ‘The Card Centre’ in
Storrington. Any unsold tickets will be available for purchase on the
door, Sullington Parish Hall, on the night. Ken Collins: 1903 740745,
or Malcolm Bennett:01798 812407
SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY AT 7.30PM
Cantatrice Ladies Choir from Steyning & Horsham Eight choirs
from Sussex perform at dorking Halls. Organised by ‘Bravo’ under
the title ‘CHOIrOKE’. Join in with Fat Bottomed girls, Nights in
White Satin & Celebration. The choirs perform the first movement
from Adiemus (Karl Jenkins). Tickets: £20.00 and £15.00. Over 65’s
£17.00 and £12.00. Box Office on 01306 881717

EVENTS
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4TH
Henfield Evangelical Free Church, Henfield.
Full English Breakfast 8.30am Free Church Hall, High Street, Henfield.
Speaker: derek Heyman. Tickets £5 available at Jasmine’s Florist, High
St .& Free Church Book Shop. For more information Henfield 493925
SATURDAY 4TH FEBRUARY
Storrington Rotary Club
Quiz Night at 7.30pm at Pulborough village Hall. Tickets are £10
and include a two course supper. Winners’ Prizes, raffle, “Fines” &
Spot Prizes and a licensed bar. Tickets available from guy leonards
- 17 High Street, Storrington 01903 742354 or 18 lower Street,
Pulborough 01798 874033, The Card Shop - High Street, Storrington
01903 742114 or from Marion Milton 01798 815583.
MONDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 12.45 FOR 1.15PM
Steyning Centre. Steyning Probus Club
Charles Ashby. Stories behind Steyning Millennium. Probus is a
social club for semi retired and retired men with a professional and
business background. Forthcoming social event: February- dinner
at Northbrook College. March – Horsham British legion Band. Our
social events include our wives/partners. Membership Enquiries: Brian
Hovell 01903 879833, www.steyningprobus.com

Naturalist and photographer, ray Hale, gives an illustrated talk
“The Old Man of the Forest: Saving the Orang U Tan” 7.45pm
for 8.00 start. www.henfieldcameraclub.org.uk
SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY, 4.00PM
at the Steyning Centre Charity Concert
HEArT & SOUl – a concert organised by the Steyning 1st
responders raise funds for their charity. A selection of light classical
and non’classical which include Moonlight in vermont, The
Continental, This little light of Mine and many more. They are joined
by Wind players from Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra.Tickets: £7
including cake and tea from Steyning Bookshop 01903 812062.
SATURDAY 25TH FEBRUARY
Warren Playgroup Good as New Sale 10:30am to 12:00 noon
@ Henfield Hall (behind Budgens). Entrance is £1 per person.
Items to sell? Bring them to the hall on the day between 9 -10am.
For pre-registration, information: contact@warrenplaygroup.co.uk
SATURDAY 25 FEBRUARY AT 7.30
The Drill Hall, Denne Road, Horsham Horsham Cantatrice
perform with the Sussex Harmonisers – a mens barbershop group
based in Burgess Hill. Tickets £8 from Horsham Music Shop.
WEDNESDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 7.30PM
Steyning Cricket Club – Annual Steyning in Bloom Fundraising
Quiz Night. Tickets £12 to include casserole supper & pudding.

MIX the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Melt over a pan of hot water.

• 250g dark chocolate, in pieces

WHISK the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until combined,
beat in the melted chocolate and butter until smooth.

• 250g soft brown sugar

MIX the salt with the flour, sift them over the chocolate
mixture, and then gently fold in with a large metal spoon.
FOld in the grated beetroot
POUr the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the
top with a spatula.

BAKE for 20-25 minutes; when the brownies are done,
a knife put in the centre should come out with a few moist
crumbs on it. don’t overcook them or they will be dry.
remove the tin from the oven and leave on a wire rack
to cool, then cut into squares.

Please send in your recipes with pics for our readers recipe page.
We would love to hear about your recipes and why they are special to you!

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 11

17/01/2012 13:24

12 • gArdENINg dIAry

Matt Cowan’s

Gardening Diary
W

hat we can achieve in our gardens is nearly
always dependent on the weather and
on our charming little island it is reliably
unpredictable! The forecast for February is uncertain
although it seems likely that it will be colder than of late.
Just how cold we don’t know but we will all be glad
for the return of the sun and warmer spring weather
whenever it gets here!

So what can we get up to
in our gardens at this time?
I have been pruning apple and pear trees during their
dormant period and this can be done until early March
before the buds burst into life. Use sharp, clean secateurs
and a pruning saw to remove any crowded, crossing,
damaged, dead or diseased branches. As a general
rule of thumb don’t take more than a third off in any
one season. What we are looking to achieve is an open
goblet shape allowing plenty of light and air in. If you can
throw your hat right through the middle of the tree your
probably on the right track!
Winter prune Wisteria now to enhance flowering.
Hopefully summer pruning was done in July/August
following flowering, when most long wispy shoots should
be cut back to six or seven buds. No matter if not you can
still winter prune as follows. Take the shoots down further
to two or three buds. The flower buds are plump and
blunt whereas growth buds are smaller and pointed so
cut back to a flower bud.
If you don’t fancy getting out there yet then now is
a great time to plan ahead and organise how you want
things to look throughout the year. you can now start
sowing seeds in trays on windowsill. Plan your crop
rotation, pruning regimes and any new projects. reflect
on the previous year, repeat what worked well and ditch
what didn’t.
One of the things I am planning again this year is to
plant lots of flowers that attract valuable wildlife to my
garden, particularly the vegetable plot where I need good
predators of all those pests! Try the following plants to
get the birds, bees and butterflies in.
Borage, Comfrey, verbena bonariensis, French
Marigolds, Sunflowers, Michaelmas daisies, Hebes,
yarrow, Scabious, Honesty, love in a Mist, Poached Egg
Plant, golden rod Solidago, Hawthorn…
The list is endless! Whatever you decide to do with
your garden, enjoy it and I wish you every success!

February 2012 • Village Living

A few other jobs
for late winter
r animals
• keep feeding birds and othe
pective tenants
• put up nesting boxes for pros
the ground
• cut late raspberries down to
permits
• start weeding NOW when soil
s and dig in green manures
• ﬁnish digging vegetable plot
e tubers in February
• plant out Jerusalem artichok
• clean, oil and sharpen tools
boxes
• start potatoes chitting in egg
for the new gardening year
• clean the greenhouse ready

uring my second visit to Sompting Abbotts, on a
bright and sunny Monday morning I met the delightful
and charming Kate O’Neill, Head of the Pre-Prep
department. Kate qualified as a teacher in 1995 and worked
in various positions prior to settling at Sompting Abbotts in
2000; after maternity leave Kate returned and has been the
department head since 2008.
The pupils enjoy a balanced and busy curriculum
of academic, sporting and creative activities including
instrumental lessons and singing, drama and ICT. Themed
topics and projects enhance the quality of education and
include visiting workshops and visits to exciting places such
as drusilla’s and the theatre.
The Pre-Prep department is based in The Old Stables;
it has a wonderful familiar home from home atmosphere
where the children are very well cared for by the fantastic
kind and supportive teaching team. Encouraging a creative
and well grounded interest in learning, academic standards
are high; children are obviously applying themselves with
great enthusiasm and enjoying success. With small classes
it is obvious how well the staff are familiar with each child
and their individual needs, and you can see just from looking
around how very happy the children are in this fantastic
learning environment. The classrooms are large and well
planned and provide a feeling of security in a familiar ‘home’
base. The facilities for the very varied programme of events,
offered throughout the year, are all here under one roof
for Early years and Key Stage One pupils. Places are
available for children within the age range of two and a
half to seven years.
The transition to the Main School is made easy and
the links between the Pre-Prep and the Main School
are embedded early so that they are familiar with the
surroundings, subjects and teachers by the time the children
are ready to move up at the age of 7. Subjects including
French, Music, P.E. are taught by specialist teachers from yr.1,
and geography and Art from yr.2. There are opportunities
for the children to enjoy a variety of After School Clubs, early
morning care and after school care are also available.
Sompting Abbotts boasts a stunning setting outside, which
is made full use of throughout the school. From an early age
the children are encouraged to enjoy their surroundings,

with leaf rubbings, and apple picking (which they will go
on to make into apple pies in the Pre- Prep kitchen!). Older
pupils take advantage of the environment to enhance their
knowledge of the Science and geography curriculum.
The last Nursery Ofsted Inspection stated: `The staff
team are enthusiastic and conﬁdent in implementing the
requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which
greatly beneﬁts children`s welfare, learning and development.
Provision to promote inclusive practice is outstanding. It is
highly effective in ensuring that all children are very secure
and happy in the nursery and reception class.`
I truly love the air of `Swallows and Amazons` about the
school; there is a wonderful feeling of old fashioned values in
a fully equipped and modern teaching environment.

An independent prepArAtory school
for boys And girls Aged 2½ -13

S o m p t i n g A b b ot tS p r e pA r Ato ry S c h o o l

Parents are most welcome to view.
Please contact us for an appointment or to arrange a TASTER DAY

Get 10% off every time you shop* at Village Larder in February
We sell locally sourced Meat, Bread, Cheese, Fruit & Veg
Homebaked pies & cakes, and your Larder essentials.

3
13
B2

To Horsham

A24

B21

39

Thakeham

Ashington

VILLAGE LARDER
at Squires Garden Centre

35

A283

orrin

gton
to

A24

Washington

A2

83

Ste

B21

to St

yni

ng

10% off everytime you shop* at Village Larder
from 1st February to 29th February 2012

*Terms & Conditions: 1. To claim your 10% off, hand this voucher to the cashier at Village Larder checkout on or before
the 29/2/2012. 2. Voucher must be retained by the customer for future use and Village Larder will have no liability for
any lost, stolen or damaged vouchers. 3. Value of the voucher 0.01p. 4. Maximum discount value available: ÂŁ200 per
household. 5. May only be used in exchange for goods, excluding newspapers, stamps, mobile top-ups, cashback
charges, delivery charges. 6. Only one voucher per transaction. 7. Only original vouchers accepted printed in either
Sussex Local & Village Living magazines. 8. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or in store discounts. 9.
No cash alternative. 10. No minimum spend.

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 16

17/01/2012 13:25

ry

fore
or
per
k
er
ts. 9.

Check out our prices!
At Village Larder you can afford to shop locally every week.

Get 10% off everytime you shop* at Village Larder throughou
t February
You will be helping your local community and saving mone
y.

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 17

17/01/2012 13:25

Ten tips to save £££’s on
your weekly grocery bill

Let Village Larder take the stress out of preparing for Christmas, by supplying
your Sussex reared Turkey, local Vegetables, Fruit and a Sussex Cheese board.
Order by 12th December and collect from the Village Larder at
Squires Garden Centre along the A24 at Washington on the 23rd or 24th December.
Turkeys from1.
Holmansbridge
Farm, Barcombe,
Sussex visit the supermarket
onceEast
a fortnight
Barn reared and Freerange birds 5kg to 11kg from £7.90/kg

or longer and
buy those bulky items, such as toilet paper, frozen chips,
soft
breakfast
and 6,household
products.
Stick sauce,
Trimmings box
fordrinks,
4: Streaky
Bacon 12,cereal
Chipolatas
Sausagemeat
500g, Cranberry
Goose fat, Stock
- £15shopping list.
to your
Veg box for 2.
4: King
Potatoes 2kg,
Parsnips
1kg, bread,
Broccoli fruit
500g,&
Carrots
BuyEdward
fresh produce,
such
as meat,
veg, 750g,
Brussel Sprouts 750g, Leeks 1kg, Red & White Onions 1kg - £9
dairy in small quantities but often at your local shops. This
Veg box for will
8: King
Edward
Potatoes
4kg,
2kg,
Broccoli
1.5kg,
reduce
your
waste
asParsnips
you only
buy
what1kg,
youCarrots
will use
Brussel Sprouts 1.5kg, Leeks 2kg, Red & White Onions 2kg - £18
in the next couple of days.
Fruit box for 4: Coxes Apples 1kg, Bananas 1kg, Satsumas 1kg, Large Oranges 4,
3. Avoid punnets & packages. If you will only eat three
Comice or Conference Pears 1kg, Lemons 2, Dates 150g - £9
apples in the next few days then buy three. don’t buy a
Fruit box for bag
8: Coxes
ApplesSupermarkets
2kg, Bananas 2kg,
Satsumas
2kg, Large
of eight.
love
packaging
as itOranges
makes 8,
Comice or Conference Pears 2kg, Lemons 4, Dates 300g - £18
you think you are getting better value, but you end up
Sussex Cheeseboard
4: Sussexthat
Blue,you
Ashdown
wasting for
produce
reallyForester,
did notSussex
needMarble,
in the first
Sussex Brie and Washington Christmas chutney - £15
place. Buy what you need.
“We4.source
as much
of our produce
from local
farms and
look out
for discounted
produce
and adapt
yourproducers,
so meal
we help
our local
and keep
miles
to a at
minimum.”
planning.
If economy
you see good
valuefood
caulifl
owers
the
grocers,
ower
cheese can replace the meal you or visit
To order please
call then
01903caulifl
893769
or www.villagelarder.co.uk/christmas
Village Larder
at planning.
Squires Garden Centre, A24, London Road, Washington RH20 3BP
were
(formally Crumbs) or next to Frankland Arms, London Road, Washington, RH20 4AL.
5. Make best use of leftovers. risotto, Soup, Stew and
email: christmas@villagelarder.co.uk
Deliveries
available
RH20 postcode.
Curry are all great ways of making
a meal
from within
leftovers.
6. Freeze produce that you know you won’t be able to
consume before it goes past it’s ‘use by’ date.
7. Ignore ‘best before’ dates; these are a guide only. If the
produce looks good, smells ok, then it’s likely to be ok
after the ‘best before’ or ‘display until’ dates.

8. Buy better quality produce but in smaller volumes. go

for taste rather than quantity. E.g. Choose 100g of your
favourite cheese rather than a large slab of something

that is just ok. It’s healthier and lower cost.

9. Check out the prices for fresh produce. Compare your

grocers or butchers price per kilo with others. If they price
in pounds (lbs) ask yourself are they being helpful or just


disguising a high price?

10. Ask your independent retailer for any waste items


that they won’t be selling. E.g. they may be throwing out

parsnips that are past their best for display, but will make

a lovely soup. They’ll be happy to get a few pence for

produce that would otherwise be waste.

Saving money on you weekly groceries does not have

to be a chore. It can be fun and personally rewarding
making a tasty meal from last nights leftovers.


Cut your waste and save.

Have fun!

glorious day for declaring your
love for those who know and
those who don’t know how
you really feel about them!!.....not a bad
day either for those of us who just like
receiving cards and chocolates… (Most
of us then!)
The very first official Saint valentine’s
day was declared on 14th of February
by Pope galasius in 496, in memory
of a 3rd century martyred priest
in rome. It is not known for sure
whether Pope galasius was honouring
this 3rd century priest or whether it
was one of the other two martyred
priests associated with the 14th of
February. Not a lot else is known about
these two Saint valentines but the
priest in rome has become the most
widely acclaimed. Saint valentine’s
day embraces a time of year that is
historically associated with love and
fertility and also encompasses the
sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera
in Ancient Athens and the Ancient
roman festival of lupercus, the god
of fertility.
It is believed that the young priest
rose to distinction after betraying
Emperor Claudius in 270 Ad by
conducting illegitimate wedding
ceremonies in the capital. Emperor
Claudius claimed that married men
did not make good soldiers so he
outlawed and banned all marriages
of younger citizens. Bishop valentine,
however, maintained that marriage
was part of god’s plan and purpose
for the world. He continued to

conduct marriages in secret between
young people, sometimes as young
as twelve, all in the name of love.
Unwelcome notoriety, gained from his
success, was what ultimately became
the downfall and demise of Bishop
valentine. He was jailed and beheaded,
but not before falling in love with the
jailer’s daughter. It is believed that
on the evening of his execution the
bishop passed her a note which read
“from your valentine”. This story has
blossomed into the defining tradition
of valentine’s day.
An estimated one billion cards
sent each year, making it the second
largest card-sending holiday of the year
behind Christmas. In other cultures
such as Japan and Korea, valentine’s
has become almost an obligation
for women to give chocolates,
known as giri-choco, to all of their
co-workers and a reciprocal day on
14th of March known as White day
has emerged in recent times whereby
men are supposed to thank those who
remembered them on valentine’s day
with white chocolate or marshmallows!
In Korea there is an additional Black
day, held the following month on
the 14th of April, for less fortunate
men who did not receive gifts on
valentine’s day to gather together to
eat Jajangmyun, Chinese style black
noodles topped with a black sauce.
Celebrations of St. valentine’s day
are indeed shrouded in mystery and
legend… but what does it mean
to you??

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 19

Village Living • February 2012

17/01/2012 13:25

20 • the fitness camp

The Fitness Camp
By Ginette Stevens

I

’d been hearing great things about
Diane Eggitt’s Fitness Camp and the
benefits that were being achieved
through attending, so it seemed only
right to find out in person what it was
all about.
Catching up with Diane, she was
happy to invite me along to her taster
week at Storrington Leisure Centre and
tell me all about her relatively new but
growing business. Prior to attending
the first class, Diane kindly e-mailed
me some information on her business
and what the Fit Camp ethos is, and
it made interesting and thought
provoking reading.
The Fitness Camp was started by
Paul Mort 7 years ago. Paul has been
in the fitness industry over 10 years
and is generally recognised as the UK’s
leading fat loss expert. He has spent years
looking at the science of body fat and,
rather than counting the calories in vs.

February 2012 • Village Living

the calories out, took a more rounded
approach to the subject by liaising with
many nutritionists, doctors and coaches.
He also spent thousands of pounds on
research and has worked with many
top athletes and footballers to earn
the respect and reputation which is
with him today.
Diane first met Paul in 2009. She had
been successfully running her personal
training business for the last 12 years,
alongside teaching various classes, and
had recently started running a boot
camp style class twice a week. She
really enjoyed what she did, but felt
it was time to source fresh ideas. She
saw an advert for a workshop Paul was
running and went along. In her words
she was ‘blown away’. Not one to dive
headfirst into things, Diane did not sign
up straight away but took these new
ideas and thoughts away with her to
digest and research. In 2010 they met
again on several occasions and, after
these meetings, Diane decided she would
pursue her interest in The Fitness Camp.
She attended 3 training seminars
with Paul and some other top trainers
in the industry and has recently been to
Marbella with Paul and his team for latest
training and fat-loss techniques. Paul is
very careful about selecting only the best
fitness trainers to use his logo. Diane is
one of only 12 in the UK and looks after
the Horsham district area postcodes.
After her previous years in the fitness
industry, running this business, alongside
a small amount of personal training, had
Diane enthusiastically telling me that it is
was best thing she has ever done.
The VIP member’s site you gain access
to when you join is informative and what
appealed to me was the new world that
you enter in to. You become part of a
new family – you have access to your
trainer at any time to help you over the

hurdles and to motivate and encourage
you. You have like-minded people at the
fitness classes to talk to. You have recipes
to follow that are not mind-blowingly
difficult from the fitness camp cookbook,
and the information on why you need to
cut out certain foods stuffs is explained
clearly and sensibly.
You can read other peoples stories
– they are heart-felt and human, and
the before and after pictures that run
alongside are proof that this type of diet
and exercise regime really does work.
So, I understood the idea behind
The Fitness Camp, I had seen recipes to
follow and food stuffs to cut out. I had
also watched some of the exercises we
would be doing on Diane’s You-Tube
site. I had been fired up by words of
encouragement from Paul and Diane –
I was ready to go!
The week of my course was the week
before Christmas. Half of me was ‘oh
no – can I get up early and exercise at this
time of year?’ The other half was ‘yeah
– lose weight the week before Christmas
– bring it on!’. Because of family and
work commitments, I had agreed to be
at Storrington at 6.30am. I have to say, I
am more used to flicking open one eyelid
to see if my husband has brought me a
cup of tea at 7.30am. On the first day,
I pretended I was going on holiday and
had an early flight to catch…..
Ladies and gents, getting up that early
was nowhere near as bad as I thought.
Hand on heart. Once up and in my gym
gear, I was ready to exercise. And so were
over 20 others. Diane even said she was
a little disappointed that more hadn’t
turned up which shows the popularity
and commitment of the classes, even in
the winter months.
We warmed up for a few minutes
and then began the boot camp style
class. There were no sit-ups or running
around the gym. It was high intensity,
short bursts of exercises. You did 45
seconds on an exercise then rested for
15 seconds. You did three more types
of exercise for the 45 seconds, with 15

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

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17/01/2012 13:25

seconds rest in between each and then
repeated it all. Next, you did another
group of 4 exercises twice. After that,
we did something called a “metabolic
finisher”. A little tough, but Diane
informed me it was done for a reason.
To fire up our fat-burning for many more
hours post workout. After that it was
time to cool down and get home.
45 minutes had flown by.
Everyone in the room was friendly and
welcoming. When exercising, Diane was
all around the room, ensuring people
were in the right position, encouraging
and motivating, full of energy and
positivity. There was a good mix of
people; both men and women of mixed
ages and ability. The time of the class
I went to meant that it was ideal for
working families as you were finished
by 7.15am – plenty of time to shower
and head off to the office, or allow
your partner to go and you take over
the childcare.

I came away on a bit of a high
and was already looking forward to
my next session. It soon came around
and the style of the class was the similar
but different exercises. At the Friday
class, Diane wanted to introduce some
new exercises to everyone and so was at
the front of the class showing us what
to do and working out herself. Boy does
that girl make it look easy! No work-out
is ever repeated in a one month block.
Diane makes a treat for the class once
a month from the cookery book, and
on the Friday she gave me some tasty
dark chocolate orange segments which
were delicious. Vintage Rose Coffee Shop
in Storrington is now stocking some
Fitness Camp friendly dishes, so you can
pop in for a meeting with friends and
stick to the eating plan. You can also
easily buy all the ingredients online or at
Beneficial Health in Pulborough (where
you get 10% off if you are a Fitness
Camp member).

relax

So come on all you gym-phobic
guys who want to lose weight
and feel great – give The Fitness
Camp a go!

You can check out Diane’s website
at www.deefitness.co.uk, or call
her for more information on
07867 522847. A medical
questionnaire will be required to
be completed before you attend.
The taster weeks run every 5
weeks (Three 45 minute classes)
and these are FREE for you to come
and try, plus you receive a 7 day
eating plan. Classes are currently
held as follows:
Storrington Leisure Centre
6.30 – 7.15am Mon/Wed/Fri
Rydon community college
7-7.45pm Mon/Wed/Fri
Ashington Community Centre
9.30-10.15am Mon/Wed/Fri
And 6.30-7.15am Tues/Thurs and
Sat 8-8.45am

MARK LINDFIELD
Gas/Heating/Plumbing
Local, friendly and reliable.
Specialist in installation, service
and repair of LPG and Natural gas
appliances including boilers, fires,
cookers and water heaters. All
aspects of plumbing undertaken.
Qualified, certified and fully insured

Call now on
07825234176
01903 231283

February 2012 • Village Living

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 22

17/01/2012 13:25

23 • STEyNINg & HENFIEld rOTAry ClUB

Steyning and
Henﬁeld Rotary Club
Purchase of new equipment
for the Henfield Leisure Centre

W

e were approached late last year to
see if we could help the Henfield
leisure Centre to replace some of
it’s worn out equipment. The leisure Centre has
to raise its own funds for this and it is natural
they should turn to the rotary Club for help.
That is what we are there for – to respond to
community needs where we find them. We
support a number of local organizations on
a regular basis, especially where we see real
disadvantage, and we respond emergencies and
specific requests such as this either out of our
contingency or by raising new funds.
So just after Christmas, Steyning and
Henfield rotary has donated £500 to the
Henfield leisure Centre for new equipment.
Simon Thompson, the leisure Centre
manager, said “this is a great Christmas

present for us. It will help everyone who
uses the leisure centre, from small children
right through to adults. We desperately
need to replace toys for the playgroups,
and racquets and balls etc. for sports users,
and the donation will enable us to do that.”
Tom Nutley, rotary President, said
“Rotary is always looking to respond for
requests for support from the local community.
The Leisure Centre is a registered charity:
when we heard about their need for new
equipment we thought we should try to
help, and we are only too happy to be able
to make this donation”.
But we are not resting on our laurels –
our race Night is coming up.
Have lots of fun on Saturday 3rd March
at the Steyning Centre. The first race is at
7:30 pm: place your bets on winning
horses, and sponsor horses and jockeys for
champagne prizes, raising funds for the
Steyning Area First responders and other
local good causes. Tickets price £10 including
a fish & chip supper, are available from
The Steyning Bookshop. If you are coming
in a group, please be sure to leave details
so that we can reserve your tables. Further
details can be obtained by email from
diana Couling at meilicat@yahoo.co.uk
or by calling 01903 812099.

Come and see what we do at the Steyning Showcase on
Saturday 25th February. And if you would like to learn more about
Rotary, send an email to info@steyningandhenﬁeldrotary.co.uk
or call Peter Johnson on 010903 816965 and we’ll get you along
to one of our meetings.
www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 23

Village Living • February 2012

17/01/2012 13:26

24 • restaurant review

The George & Dragon Houghton
Reviewed by: Chris Jones

T

he George & Dragon is a
delightful olde worlde pub,
situated on the picturesque South
Downs, in Houghton, on the Arundel to
Storrington road. The views, from there,
over the South Downs are superb. The
pub was built in the 13th century and
has an interesting history. It is reputed
that Charles II stayed there, while fleeing
the country, after his defeat at the battle
of Worcester.
The interior is exactly what you would
expect. Full of oak beams and the
charm and character associated with a
pub of its age. The décor is in keeping
and the walls are adorned with pictures
depicting the history of the place. There
is a good choice of real ales and wines,
so it was not difficult to satisfy our
immediate needs.
Even for a Monday, there were
several other groups having a meal
The trick certainly seems to be the
personal touch. The warmth and
friendliness of Gavin and Carole,
landlord and landlady, percolate
through to each member of staff; all of
whom we found delightful and helpful.
Anna, the young waitress, seated
us and made us feel welcome and
comfortable and together with Helen,
who also entertained us with her latest
dieting-for-charity exploits, looked after
us perfectly. It was a chilly night and it
was lovely just to sit back and peruse
the menu whilst listening to the low
chatter of people at the bar, in the
warmth of the crackling wood fire,
complete with comatose dog.
But now to the best bit – the food!
Between you and me, my wife is not
the easiest to please in restaurants,
being somewhat of a foodie, but I
was happy (and relieved) that she had
only praise for a delicious dinner;
February 2012 • Village Living

which was fortunate as we were
celebrating her birthday.
The menu states that the pub focuses
on great seasonal food, locally sourced
and freshly produced. However, it was
large enough to provide a good choice.
It was apparent that this is no fast food
joint – just good food cooked to order,
by chefs Lawrence and Dan. There
was also a small list of daily specials
with some delicious options. The prices
seemed fair and reasonable too, with
starters from £4.50 and main courses
from about £10. We were very pleased
to see some great fish and seafood on
the menu too.
For starters I chose the Thai fishcakes
and sweet chilli sauce, which was
just right on the Richter scale; served
with a lightly dressed salad, which
complimented the fishcakes perfectly.
Cathy had smoked trout fillets with
creamy horseradish sauce and salad
garnish, which she really enjoyed. These
were accompanied by warm fresh bread
and butter – always a naughty pleasure!
For the main course, I chose the
lamb cutlets, served with delicious
minty gravy which really brought my
taste buds to life, along with baby
roast potatoes and veg. Cathy had the

locally sourced rose veal with a cream
sauce and baby button mushrooms
and silverskin onions – she loved it!
Always so important is the quality of
the vegetables, as so often these can be
disappointing. But these were cooked
to perfection. We had a lovely selection
of crisp, mixed vegetables together with
freshly cooked new potatoes.
I chose the Sussex cheeseboard to
finish, consisting of Sussex Blue, Sussex
Scrumpy and a Sussex Cheddar, all
served with biscuits, celery, apple and
grapes and some apple chutney, made
from apples picked
from their garden and made in their
own kitchen. Cathy had the Lemon
and Lime Tart with ice cream and was
annoyingly reluctant to share! All the
desserts are freshly made and include

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

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17/01/2012 13:26

The George & Dragon
such tempting delights as Sticky Toffee Pudding, Syrup Sponge,
Chocolate Crème Brulee and eleven locally sourced Sussex
ice creams.
We were well looked after throughout our meal and gavin and
Carole took the time to have a chat too; which made us feel very
welcome and gave us the opportunity to let them know just how
much we enjoyed our meal .
All in all a lovely evening and one we shall definitely repeat.
We can highly recommend this pub.
Cathy and Chris have
lived in Storrington for
nearly 5 years and love
the area. Cathy is a
foodie and is Secretary
of Storrington Tennis
club. Chris is a practicing
Hypnotherapist,
Chairman of the local
41 Club and a Trustee
of Chanctonbury Leisure centre. They both enjoy tennis
and dog-walking.

Could you be next month’s food
wer?
Where would you like to see revierevie
wed
Let us know! katie@villageliving.biz?
Houghton, West Sussex, BN18 9LW
01798 831559
www.thegeorgeanddragonhoughton.co.uk



For children 8-16
(classes for older age groups will be started
if enough interest)
UPPER BEEDING VILLAGE HALL
EVERY SATURDAY MORNING
DURING TERM TIME
Ages 8-11: 10-11AM
Ages 12-16: 11-12AM
£40 per term
(may be paid by the half term in two
instalments of £20)
Children can come just for fun, but if interested
they can be entered for the graded Speech and
Drama examinations of the London Academy of
Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). They will
also have the opportunity to take part in the
Worthing Festival next February.

mall, family company in Brighton – Nukunuku is bringing a traditional
Japanese body warmer called a “haramaki” to the shivering British
public. This clever invention is a band worn around your middle. Wear

it invisibly next to your skin, have a layer of colour over your clothes or just
peeking out when you sit down or bend over. revolutionise your warmth
and quite possibly your health! Stylish, practical, colourful – a handy gift and
winter-wardrobe essential.
Haramaki translates as belly (hara) wrap (maki) – a band of material
wrapped around your middle. you can tuck them in and wear them
invisibly or have a layer of colour over or under your clothes or just peeking
out when you sit down or bend over.
Also called waist warmers and belly bands, these body warmers have
been worn for centuries in Japan. The samurai wore them beneath their
armour and they are experiencing a fashion revival in Japan. They are great
for gardeners, golfers, walkers, yoga, outdoor sports, cyclists, pregnant
and breast feeding mums, those who feel the cold and anyone who wants
to cover up the gap between top and waistband especially when sitting or
bending over. Back fat, muffin tops banished from sight!
Make haramaki part of your everyday wardrobe. go on, give yourself a
hug – put on a haramaki.

The lovely Catherine at www.nukunuku.co.uk is
giving away 1 Haramaki to 3 of you lucky readers if
you email her directly on cath@nukunuku.co.uk with
the answer to the following question:
WHAT DOES NUKUNUKU MEAN IN JAPANESE?
(Closing Date for competition is February 28th 2012)
Go to www.nukunuku.co.uk and see for yourself
exactly what I’m talking about! (Check out the
gorgeous leggings and scarves too!).
February 2012 • Village Living

F

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 26

H
R

17/01/2012 13:26

27 • gArdENINg

Be my Valentine

I

t doesn’t seem possible that this
will be our 14th year of trading.
A lot has happened and the nursery
has certainly grown. This year is no
exception and we will have even more
exciting plants to tempt you! Pop in
and visit us, we have lots more plants
than we can include on the website ,
many in much larger sizes and plenty
to see even at this early time of
the year.
With valentine’s day looming what
about a gift for your valentine that
can be planted and enjoyed again
and again? I have chosen two of
my personal favourites the Nandina
domestica – Sacred Bamboo with its
incredible red leaves, and secondly a
couple from our amazing range of
different Olive trees...
Nandina domestica, Sacred or
Heavenly Bamboo is a much underrated evergreen shrub from China
which isn’t actually a bamboo. It
reaches approximately 1.8 (up to 2
metres, but can be pruned to size if you
wish.) metres in height and is covered in

masses of tiny leaves. After a good hot
summer and a couple of frosts,
the leaves take on wonderful reds,
oranges and purples then stays that
way throughout the winter! Make
sure you look out for white flower
spikes followed by red berries. It is
quite happy growing in a container and
shouldn’t really require any pruning so
is ideal in a garden bed where space
is limited. These shrubs prefer a sunny
spot with just a little shade and are
happy in most soils except waterlogged
or chalky. Plants starting from as
little as £29.00.
Olive Trees – Olea europaea 2 year
old plants. We have several different
cultivars of olive tree available at this
size. They are young trees which were
grafted 2 years ago. grafting olive trees
ensures that you can produce a large
number of plants which will all
be exactly the same – something
which cannot be done when growing
from seed. All of these trees are
different, with girths of up to 120cm
and heights up to 3 metres. This size





Hole Street, Ashington.
RH20 3DE. 01903 891466




100 year old olive trees –
Olea europaea these magnificent olive
trees are more works of art than plants!
The trunks are wonderfully gnarled
and have masses of character. Owning
one of these trees is like having your
own little piece of an olive grove in
your garden, bring a little piece of the
Mediterranean here to Sussex! They
prefer full sun to dappled shade but
are tolerant of wind and salt , avoid
waterlogged areas but otherwise all
soils are fine, they are drought tolerant
once established and grow up to 3
metres in height, but easily pruned to
any size you wish.
If you can’t visit us please call and
ask about stock we are happy to
photograph plants, email you or
offer advice.

of olive tree is ideal for planting outside
in all but the coldest areas of the UK,
where a more mature plant would be
suitable. These olive trees are sourced in
Tuscany from family run nurseries which
have been grafting olive trees for 3 or
4 generations.

www.bigplantnursery.co.uk

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

Village Living • February 2012

17/01/2012 13:26

Chalcraft Funeral Directors
circa 1870

Long established & family owned
business, dedicated to making
traditional funeral services as
personal & special to you
as possible . . .
Chequers Yard High Street Steyning
01903 812656
info@chalcraftfunerals.co.uk
www.chalcraftfunerals.co.uk
Village Living 29 0212 32pp AW.indd 28

17/01/2012 13:26

29 • SUSSEX IN SEASON

Love is in the Air
Nick Hempleman: Owner of The Sussex Produce Company,
award winning produce store and café in Steyning, West Sussex.

A

s something of a miser, I am
rather cynical about valentine’s
day. However, we have found
such a lovely selection of artisan, handmade delights that even my heart has
started to soften. Champagne chocolate
truffles from Prestat in heart shaped
boxes. Prestat has been named as one
of the top chocolatiers in the world
and is a favourite of the Queen’s. If you
fancy something a little more local, we
have some beautiful hand-made cakes
topped with dried rose-petals. Either of
these gifts is a really romantic gesture
and cost less than £5.
If you are after something a little less
calorific, but equally romantic, what
about a dozen red roses? This year we’ll
be making some wonderful hand-made

bouquets. They’re a snip at only £29.95
but numbers are limited. you can order
a bouquet in the shop or by calling us
on 01903 815045 – just let us know by
Saturday 11th February.
With chocolates and flowers sorted,
all you need now is a magical threecourse meal and by sheer coincidence,
we can help with this as well! We
are very proud of the reputation we
have already earned with our evening
dinner service. Our head chef richard
Shakespeare has run kitchens with
excellent reputations such as the trendy
East Beach Cafe and the Crown Inn at
dial Post. He has put together an
absolutely fantastic menu for the
evening, so if you want to impress
somebody this valentine’s day

feel free to pop into the shop for
a copy of the menu or email us at
nick@thesussexproducecompany.co.uk

Tours de La Loire!
Following the success of our Italian Evening (which sold out shortly after Village
Living dropped on door mats!), we have another date for your diary. Join us
on Wednesday 21 or Thursday 22 of March for a tour of the Loire Valley from
the city of Tours to the Champagne region. The evening will start with a French
supper followed by tutored tastings of six of our best French wines and some
of our fantastic French cheeses. Tickets are £18.95 and include all the wine and
cheese tasted on the evening plus supper. Booking is essential and tickets can
be purchased from the shop or over the phone.
88 High Street, Steyning, BN44 3RD (01903) 815045 www.thesussexproducecompany.co.uk
Winner ‘Sussex Food Shop of the Year 2008/9’ ‘A simply fabulous shop’ BBC’s Carol Klein
www.villageliving.biz | tel: 0785 2231512

alentine’s day is, for many, a time
for new romances, or renewing
existing. But, for others, it can
be a reminder of what is lacking in their
own relationship.
Common symptoms can include:
sexual problems, jealousy, anger,
possessiveness, insecurity, ego clashes,
communication barriers and many
such issues... Those in this situation
know that the relationship needs a
shot in the arm to save it from going
to the dogs. yet, how to go about it
can be a problem in itself. So how can
Cognitive Hypnotherapy help?
Perceptions of self (e.g. ‘I’m not
worthy’...) and others (e.g. ‘He’s better
than me’) can be changed, to enable
the healing of damaged relationships
or the stabilisation of basically

positive and healthy relationships.
development of greater self belief and
positive thinking, leading to increased
confidence and ability to create new
and successful relationships.
Hypnosis can help you to reexperience past memories in a more
positive way and get rid of the
‘emotional baggage’ that most of
us carry around in our heads; as
well as to look at situations from a
completely different perspective and
gain an appreciation for another
person’s position.
Effective techniques to relax
and be calm around others can
be a significant and positive benefit;
as can techniques to deal with
negative emotions, such as jealousy,
anger etc.

Sexual problems of a psychological
nature, such as fridgidity, can
decimate confidence but can be
eliminated, quickly and effectively.
Creative visualisation techniques
and learning to imagine a brighter
future can help individuals to
enjoy more successful relationships.
What you think will happen,
may well happen. What you think
won’t happen, won’t happen.
(‘What the thinker thinks, the
prover proves’).
So, if you want to make
changes to your mindset that
will help you make the most of
your existing or new relationship,
contact me. Confidentiality is
assured, as is a non-judgemental
and caring approach.
For more information on
Cognitive Hypnotherapy, visit:
www.questinstitute.co.uk or my
website: www.chrisjones.uk.com.